When 30-year-old Patrick Hoagland was laid off from his job as a forklift operator, he had trouble finding new employment despite spending weeks applying for new positions.
But when he ended up on a street corner in Phoenix, Arizona, sign in hand, it wasn’t to ask for money.
Despite temperatures reaching 110 degrees the day this photo was taken, Hoagland stood outside and offered copies of his resumé to anyone who would take it.
In fact, for a total of three days, the young father stood out on the street with 200 copies of his resumé, happily handing one over to anyone who would take it – all with a big, friendly smile on his face.
In an e-mail to CNN he said:
“I at first laughed and thought that was silly, but I kept thinking about it. I figured, why not?! There are millions of people in Phoenix driving around, someone might hire me.”
Melissa DiGianfilippo was heading back to work at her PR and marketing agency after lunch when she spotted Hoagland.
She asked for his resumé, but since he didn’t have the requisite skills to work in the field, she decided to do something nice for him anyway – she used her social media accounts to raise awareness of his plight and his creative way of dealing with it.
She posted the following Tweet on July 21, 2019:
With over 7,000 followers, the post spread quickly with over 300 people retweeting it along with Hoagland’s resumé – and that’s in addition to hundreds of positive comments.
“Good for you Melissa for recognizing his dedication and tenacity in searching for a job. you are the positive we need to see more of!!,” said one follower.
When she posted it to her wide network on LinkedIn, it spread even farther, with thousands of shares. Even DiGianfilippo was shocked at how many people re-shared the post:
“I was definitely hoping he would get some good job leads out of the post, but I definitely did not anticipate it blowing up in the way it did!” she said.
DiGianfilippo believes the post was so popular because people wanted the chance to do some good – just like she did when she stopped and took Hoagland’s resumé.
“I am so amazed by how many people re-shared the post because they really wanted to be a part of a positive story,” she told CNN.
Within days, Hoagland was flooded with hundreds of job offers and received thousands more messages wishing him good luck.
Hoagland ended up taking a job at a concrete grinding company called Flatline Concrete Grinding in Phoenix, saying it was a great fit for him.
And he credits DiGianfilippo’s kindness with his ability to get back on his feet.
“She has been so great, she didn’t need to help me, but she did and it has changed my life,” he told CNN. “I am so grateful for her.”
Be sure to scroll down below to see the original Tweet and all the kind replies.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
I was driving down Camelback Rd in Phx near my office and saw this guy on the side of the road with a smile in 110-degree heat, with a sign asking people to take his resume. I love that he was not asking for a handout, just for people to consider him for a job. #pleaseshare #job pic.twitter.com/5QAUpCkGWk
— MelissaDiGianfilippo (@MelissaPR) July 23, 2019
